You tell 'em, son...

I bought a new smoker this week. After getting it set up Thursday night, I oiled down the inside of it and lit a fire to complete the seasoning process. An overnight burn and smoke and it was ready for today.

Last night I trimmed, rubbed, and saran wrapped 4 pork shoulders, 2 racks of ribs, and a brisket. This morning I woke up early to take the meat out of the cooler, light the fire, and get things rolling. By 8AM, we were smoking.

By about 1PM I had burned through a wagon full of oak wood and was part of the way through the mesquite wood. It was evident that I needed a little more wood, so I stoked the fire and Matthew and I headed to Academy for another big batch of mesquite wood.

We went in the store, made our purchase, and headed back to the truck. As we were getting in, Nature called. Person-to-person. Collect. This was a call I had to take immediately, so we went back into the store and made tracks for the back corner behind the shoe section. Why are the restrooms in stores always the farthest point in the store from where you are when you get the call?

As we're heading in, I decide that we'll take the handicap stall and Matthew can just wait while I finish. But, he decided he also had to go, so I hit the stall and he hits the urinals. I told him to come with me when he finished. Yeah, like a 5 yr old listens to what you tell him. He finishes, washes his hands, and uses 4 or 5 cycles of the air dryer.

I was just about to tell him to get his butt in the stall with me when someone else came in. Ok, guy code is no talking in the john. I can't yell at the kid from the stall while someone else is in there. He's just hanging out while this other guys does his business, and then leaves, after which Matthew opens the door and calls after him "Hey, you forgot to wash your hands!!!" I wish I had been in the shoe section of the store to see that guy's reaction... The guy didn't come back in, so somewhere in the store was a guy with unwashed hands.

I finished up and we left - greeted by a few smiles from the people milling about the shoe section. Yes, I did remember to wash my hands.